Long before Phil Griego, people stopped trusting government

Istarted reading Milan Simonich’s front page column with some sadness (“AG comes through, but judge fails in Griego case,” Ringside Seat, Feb. 19). Yes, former state Sen. Phil Griego was found guilty. Yes, he was wrong for doing what he did. Yes, Simonich has a right to report what he did; but as I hit Page A-8 where the story continued, it dawned on me, this was not reporting, this was a warning. He was warning the judge and jury in Phil Griego’s next trial what to expect if they, too, go easy on the sentencing of him. What Simonich did is use his bully pulpit to show them what to expect if Phil Griego is not dealt with in a manner that he believes is harsh.

About Simonich’s last sentence, it just smacked of arrogance — “A lot of people will never trust government because of him.” I hate to break it to you, but long before Phil Griego ever hit office, people had ceased to trust government.

As you can determine by my signature, which includes the town I live in, yes, I know former state Sen. Phil Griego. He’s a neighbor and a customer of my business, and I may be a bit presumptuous, but I consider him a friend.

Many in San Miguel County consider him a friend, as Griego ofen was the only ear accessible to them, and he was accessible. He did good for San Miguel County. He did good for his rural constituents. I can’t speak for his urban constituents, but I would assume he treated them well, too.

Glen B. Post is a resident of San José, N.M.